Home Care Training Increases Effectiveness of Caregivers

Proper home care training is more important than ever for those who work with the elderly, as increasing numbers of older Americans are staying in their own homes or moving to some sort of assisted living environment. And today's training isn't just for practical care nurses or those who work in nursing homes. More and more in-home care providers, from family members to volunteers, are taking the time to train properly in order to offer the older individuals they care for the best care possible.

An increasing number of individuals are taking care of an elderly parent or parents or someone in their family who is disabled. This are the people who are frequently unprepared for their role as caregivers and are surprised to learn just how stressful and complex the role of a caregiver in the home can be. Home care training programs created by health care professionals now provide a way for these individuals to learn the techniques they need to provide a safe, healthy and supportive environment for their loved ones.

Quality home care training programs cover a wide range of topics of concern to the typical in-home care provider to ensure the comfort and health of both the care recipient and the provider. Typical subjects covered may include:

1: Personal care techniques, including proper bathing techniques and lift-and-carry techniques.

2: Recognizing early warning signs of health issues and illness as well as how to check basic vital signs.

3: Respecting the dignity and boundaries of the patient.

4: How to meet the physical and nutritional needs of the person being cared for.

5: Emotional support and wellness issues.

6: How to locate and take advantage of local resources for both the care giver and the individual being cared for.

7: Special-needs issues such oxygen use, wheelchairs, and caregiving for the bedridden.

8: Maintaining health and well-being as a caregiver.

These courses give in-home health care providers a solid background in what to do to make their loved ones more comfortable as well as giving them the confidence many lack when they begin caring for an elderly parent. It can be heart-wrenching to care for someone who once cared for you, and hesitation or lack of confidence can make it difficult to make crucial decisions. The proper Home care training can make an enormous difference. In fact, good home care graining can be the difference between an older parent being able to maintain relative independence in their own home and having to go to a nursing home facility. If an adult is properly trained and feels confident that they know how to provide quality daily care for their parent or grandparent, they are more likely to allow an elderly relative to stay in their home and enjoy the lifestyle familiar to them. However, if they feel overwhelmed and uncertain about what they should be doing or are simply lost about how to handle daily tasks as a caregiver, they will most likely insist on a move to a nursing home facility sooner rather than later.

Individuals who are interested in home care training should contact their local hospital, counsel on aging or community college to inquire about home care training programs in their area. There are also some training programs offered online as well as through faith-based organizations such as churches and synagogues.

Look for programs that are recommended or approved by established organizations such as the National Alliance for Caregiving or the National Family Caregivers Association. Recognition by these types of respected agencies is a sign that the home care training program has been thoroughly tested and meets their exacting standards.

The 6 Rules To A Healthy Lifestyle: Diet 101

6 Rules To Beginning A Successful Diet

1. The Addition Rule

Rather than making a lifetime commitment to good eating overnight and taking away bad food (that you really might like), start by adding good food and you'll make a positive difference. The Addition Rule states that instead of eliminating the bad, you will add the good. So if you drink diet soda and eat a candy bar for breakfast every morning, you should not stop that behavior and start eating nothing but fruit. More than likely, you will only quit the diet.

What the Addition Rule has you do is add an apple to your cola or candy bar breakfast. With the Addition Rule, you do not take away; you add. As we stated, most people are overfed but undernourished. By adding healthy foods, you become not only fed, but also nourished.

When you are told to "eliminate" something, it gives you an instant attachment to it and you only want it more. Noticeably, there is no "rule of elimination anywhere in the Un-Diet.

Over time, you will react so positively to these additions that you will begin to crave the healthier items as opposed to only the unhealthy ones. Gradually, those nutritional items that were once merely additions could become the entire focus of the meal.

2. The Replacement Rule

The world is full of tempting treats that create a large amount of craving and satisfaction but offer little nutrition. Traditional favorites such as pizza, ice cream, cookies, sodas, sugared cereal, fast food, and other unhealthy junk food choices are addictions and create a real dilemma when trying to make proper decisions. To help avoid caving in to these cravings and addictions, the Un-Diet suggests an effective nutritional theory known as the Replacement Rule. Many of the junk foods listed above, in their original form, contain harmful ingredients that break the laws of life. However, today's modern health food and grocery stores offer a variety of substitutes you can buy or make that are similar in form, satisfaction, and taste to these foods.

Using the Replacement Rule, you will soon find yourself more and more satisfied with the healthier substitutes to your cravings. Eventually, you may even be able to eliminate these cravings altogether. To help you, here is a handy list of common food cravings and their replacement foods:

• Pizza - (Replacement) Store bought or homemade whole grain pizza with all natural sauce and low-fat, unrefined cheese.


• Ice cream - (Replacement) low-fat frozen yogurt


• Sugary, refined cereal - (Replacement) One of the many health food, whole grain cereals with rice, almond, or coconut milk


• Coffee - (Replacement) Herbal tea, heated chocolate or vanilla almond milk


• Sugar - (Replacement) Honey, fresh fruit juice, unrefined maple syrup, molasses, brown rice syrup, Stevia, or Xylitol.


• Rich deserts - (Replacement) Whole grain, nondairy, chemical free, low-fat, honey or fruit sweetened treats.


• Fast-food burger - (Replacement) Lean, homemade all-beef burger, lean turkey burger, or veggie burger


• Store bought cheese - (Replacement) Organic or raw cheese

3. The Vacation Food Rule (You Don't Cave if you Crave)

If eating well creates too much stress, it negates many of the positive benefits. The Vacation Food Rule was created as a way of making the process of change much less stressful and much more fun.

Many people are either on a diet or off a diet. The Un-Diet, however, is not a diet at all. It is a way of eating that you can utilize for the rest of your life. No matter how satisfying your work, you need an occasional break. The Vacation Food Rule puts a food, a meal, or even a whole day of the less-than-ideal food choices into your week. The idea that "if you crave, you cave" is a myth. Rather than calling it "cheating" when you give into the craving, occasionally eating poorly is actually part of the Un-Diet plan.

While occasionally you will take a spontaneous vacation, the best vacations are planned. Therefore, suppose you are an ice cream lover. Well, if you eat ice cream everyday, you are going to get fat. However, if you utilize the Vacation Food Rule, you set a short-term goal for when you will eat the ice cream. You may say, " I will eat only on Wednesday and Sundays."

Some cravings are so great they are difficult to handle. By setting a short-term goal, you usually can push yourself over the hump and make it another day or two. Another positive side effect of this rule is that often when you isolate only certain days to eat some of your cravings, you will find that you have a food sensitivity to these vacation foods that you never knew about before when they were mixed with other meals.

4. The Food Dress-Up Rule

Initially, many of the healthier food choices may not seem very appealing. Natural Foods tend to appear less tasty and fulfilling because of all the additives, sugars, salts, and fats that give less healthy, man-made foods their flavor. The reality is that natural foods do posses good taste, but our taste buds have been dulled due to all the flavorings and spices in man made food.

To make healthy food more palatable to your abused and desensitized taste buds, use The Food Dress Up Rule. For instance, oatmeal is a healthy breakfast choice generally free of all the toxic foodstuffs that dilute and deliberate many other breakfast foods, such as cereals and donuts. The challenge is that oatmeal by itself does not contain much flavor, and preparing it with Man-Food like sugar will negate some of the positive benefits. Yet simply eating oatmeal and hot water every morning can become a real chore for most people. Even the most avid of oatmeal fans would become tired of just straight oatmeal and honey after a while. To make this nutritional breakfast more appealing, simply add healthy items like berries, almonds, cinnamon, raw butter, and/or low-fat granola will dress up the oats and make them more attractive.

5. The Stay Full Rule

Food choice are triggered by something called "hunger" When hunger signals reach a high enough, level, it will be almost impossible to make good choices. That is why The Stay Full Rule states that the way to achieve proper nutrition is not to get too hungry.

Consuming, healthy meals at the appropriate times of the day achieves a proper balance of staying nourished while also staying satisfied. On the other hand, skipping meals and going hungry lead to a practice of becoming "starved" and create the need for eating anything within the reach to satisfy the inevitable hunger pangs.

What is most satisfying, and often most available, are those heavily refined, fast, or fried foods that are full of fat. To avoid consuming such "junk" food, always stay full throughout the day with good food.

6. The Multiple Feedings Rule

To achieve The Stay Full Rule, it helps to also follow The multiple Feedings Rule. This last theory of proper nutrition states that smaller, lighter, healthier meals should be eaten throughout the day to avoid the intense hunger associated with weight loss.

Most folks eat two or three relatively large meals a day. However, the body is better equipped to process small amounts of food every few hours. Large amounts of food cannot be handled well by the body and can cause loss of energy, digestive dysfunction, and fat storage. Going long periods of time between meals also slows down the metabolism, making you even less likely to burn well, and speed up the metabolism. To achieve ultimate results, eat four to six times a day.

Tips: A natural body detox is always good in the mix of nutrition especially with all of the chemicals and additives in today's food.

Healthcare Challenges With Food Service Design

Food creates emotion. When we add the word healthcare into the conversation, well, one can guess what emotion will arise. Healthcare food services, whether in continuing care retirement communities (CCRC), assistant living, skilled care, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, daycare or meals on wheels, have the opportunity to improve current outcomes.

As with any emotional challenge, focusing on the problem and drilling down to identify deficiencies will determine which next steps are needed to solve or limit the concern. The reason the word "limit" is used is that in many situations healthcare consumers may not have a choice in selecting their favorite foods based on medical-related restrictions. With this in mind, the challenge starts in developing and designing food service operations that meet the needs of our compromised food audiences.

Thinking about our targeted audiences, I like to start with our CCRC and assisted living operations. These programs require kitchen designs that resemble a traditional table-service restaurant offering a variety of food selections. However, these designs need to be flexible, to control nutritional requirements and overcome physical limitations.

Hospitals and rehabilitation facilities are much more complicated to design than traditional CCRC or assisted living from a food service equipment and layout perspective. The design and capability of the equipment must allow food service personnel to create the perception of food choices. food service staff must also meet the requirements of patients' nutritional needs, not to mention the 12 or more menu spreads, coordinating med-pass, clinical procedures, meal delivery obstacles and related concerns.

Skilled nursing facilities have historically used hospital-feeding concepts but, over the past few years, have moved away from this approach in feeding residents by creating decentralized buffet-type service programs that help to create more of a perception of choice. Terminology used in the industry is country kitchen or point of service, just to name two. The challenges in trying to offer a buffet food concept include the fact that residents require feeding, frequently wish to eat in their rooms, and limited staffing. The financial abilities of skilled facilities to add staff for meal service is rare, which requires that a food service design maximize staff optimization.

Daycare and meals-on-wheels programs have still other conceptual requirements. Because the audience lives in the community, meal service needs to match the ethnic flavor expectations and social gathering environments of different neighborhoods, which are just two of the factors to which clients are accustomed. This does not take into account the specialty equipment necessary for cooking for table and delivery service, not to mention the skilled staff required to produce the meals.

In each of these examples, healthcare food service designs and concepts need to focus on delivery of service and meeting the expectations of the audience by placing customers at the center of the design and not as an off-shoot of it. Services are not peripheral activities, but are an integral part of society. Just because healthcare has been institutionalized, its food service operations should not lose sight of the service requirements of its varied audiences.

Important Things to Know About Nursing Home Software

Designed as a total facility management answer, nursing house software brings an array of influential nursing home requests. The one treatment home software package which brings you today's most supple, gainful nursing home organization tools, nursing home software is a adaptable system which can be configured to the precise needs of your association.

Ideal for solitary and multi-facility nursing homes as well as big nursing home chains, nursing home software revolves around adaptable, fully included application units. Built to carry out under even the mainly demanding situation, nursing home software provides you with the aptitude to contact the in order you use mostý"when you need it and where you need it.

Nursing Home Software Products

Nursing home software prearranged around your mainly important in force procedures, nursing home software products give an array of clinical and monetary nursing home request designed to permit easy preservation of your most significant data. From care plan information and user-defined enduring assessments to PPS billing and universal accounting in order, nursing home software is a dependable, easy-to-update nursing home organization solution.

Clinical Nursing Home Software Modules

Nursing home software proffer an array of scientific submission modules intended to help you uphold your nursing homes most vital care plans, information, physician's orders, progress notes, and excellence assessments. Designed to unite standardization with suppleness, clinical nursing home software modules also give access to accurate MDS, RAPs, user-defined assessment, and CMS reports.

Financial Nursing Home Software Modules

An tremendously adaptable way to trail every financial sign within your nursing home's operating arrangement, nursing home software particular financial nursing home software modules give the ability to uphold, track, and recall patient accounting, nursing home trust funds, third-party billing, collection letters, PPS billing, universal secretarial in order, and more.

The Best Uses of Nursing Software

If you are a nurse you cannot refute that have a PDA with nursing check-up software on it can be a marvellous help. Nurses who have a PDA up to with proper software will have relevant and significant information in their hands at every time.

This article will give you data of what software for nurses are available. The reason of this piece of writing is to give you with information as you start your research for nursing medical software. This article is not supposed to be the concluding say-so on this category of software, but an initial point for you to commence your exploration.

1. Handbook Of Signs And Symptoms

This software package actually helps you to connect the dots so to speak, of your patient's indication and the signs that they are present. It comprises the level of importance and the steps that you require to take throughout the examination. There are over 300 ordinary signs and symptoms as well as an extra 250 less ordinary signs and symptoms which are included in an appendix. One of my favorite description of the software is the herbal cure that are fixed.

2. Nursing procedures

as you can picture from the title this program lists over 500 procedures. Each procedure includes instructions, necessary equipment you will need for the procedure, documenting, and what to do in case of complications. This is a very user-friendly software Index the procedures can be found easily through the search function and there are hundreds of illustrations that bring life to the procedure.

3. Drug Guide For Nurses

One thing that nurses are constantly doing is amount calculations. With this software it has never been easier to compute meds. The software includes 5,000 drugs classified into 150 categories. This software has a built in error avoidance and warnings when trouble may arise, as well as enduring warnings such as taking food.

As you can see, there are ample of dissimilar software for nurses' letters to help nurses do their job. Especially in the check-up field you really cannot take too numerous precautions. I also know persons who use the software in Brazil while they are giving medical attention to village people.

Why Not Use Nursing Scheduling Software

If you are in the healthcare industry you know how difficult scheduling can be. There are many confront that you face when you are trying to programme for dissimilar shifts of persons in dealing with all the ins as well as outs of setting up.

This software has been intended to make your preparation errands rapid and competent. On the other hand it is not so unbending that it will not let input from you. In other expression it is supple enough to still permit you to vigorously contribute in the scheduling process.

Because of this you will discover that it is very simple to begin using this nursing agenda software.

There are many reimbursements to using nursing agenda software such as Care Ware. When you use setting up software you will be offered with a impartial schedule that will comply with entity worker preferences, policies and work rules. You will also become aware of an enormous reduction in official procedure for your nursing unit manager.

Because of this payback you will also notice that your operating costs will go down. In effect let's go over the base line of what this kind of software will be to you.

1. You will discover that reporting is much easier. You can run reports and provide reports to your supervisors with confidence because you will recognize that the data in the reports is accurate.

2. All the information can be accessed in concurrent from any scene. No more waiting until you get to the place of work to see what the schedule is.

3. Fewer time is spent managerially trying to craft a schedule.

4. This kind of software will reduce overtime and require pulling from a pond staff.

As you can see there are a lot of features and reimbursement, especially benefits, for manager who use nursing agenda software such as Care Ware. The reimbursement will be found not only is cost savings, but also in conditions of happier workers and a smoother pour of work.

Nursing Homes Prison 101 - Part Four in a Serious Series About Rehab & Care Centers & Nursing Homes

One day, while visiting in a bad rehab and care center, I saw a woman in a wheelchair. She was complaining to someone (Staff) that she was missing clothing. As usual, staff said that she had to wait (because they were busy), and then they would have to go downstairs to see where her clothing was.

The man waited, in fact, the woman stated that her clothing had been missing for more than one week, so figure that must be enough waiting, correct? Anyway, time passed and passed and the woman again came back to staff and complained about her clothing but bottom line is that no one went downstairs to find her clothing. And my guess was that even if someone went downstairs, they probably would not find the clothing anyway. After all, isn't this the place where all the residents are wearing everyone else's clothing? How can you find clothing in a basement, when the clothing is on someone else's body on the fifth floor?

The point that I am trying to make is this--that clothing is a very important issue when it comes to living in or to temporarily staying in a nursing home and a rehabilitation and care center. Practically none of these residents want to live here or stay here. Out of everyone that I saw there, from the ones that were able to express their opinion, NONE of them liked it there, none of them enjoyed their stay and none of them wanted to stay there, yet they are forced to be there because no one is helping them get out of there. And even those who have family members who are there to get them out of there, are met with red tape, long waiting periods, and total non-attention. Everything works against those who want to leave the place. Why? The reason is that most times the only way a resident gets to leave there is if they are fortunate enough to be brought to a hospital emergency room.

Under ordinary circumstances, residents of any other place in the world, would not want to be sent to the emergency room. However there is a rehab and care center in Staten Island, that is so bad, so uncomfortable and so horrible that residents would probably jump for joy if they had to go to the emergency room. Why? Because in this case, in this horrible case, the emergency room is their only ticket out of the place --while they are still alive. Emergency rooms--for these prisoner residents of this rehab and care center --are seen as a blessing, as a God-send, to those individuals who were previously destined to stay there in that place forever.

Can you even imagine hoping that you had to go to the emergency room? Probably not. Most normal individuals would not want to be in a position of going to the emergency room. However, in a certain rehab and care center in Staten Island, NY, many residents hope and wait for that day that they get their dishcharge from this place--even, yes even if it is to go to the emergency room. Practically any place other than this place is considered a blessing from God.

Please, politicians if you are reading this, please have mercy on those inside of those nursing homes that are abusing their powers and that are neglecting their residents and patients. Please, politicians, please hear this plea, that we need your help to change things for the better inside of these locked nursing homes and rehab and care centers.

Hiring A Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Is The Way to Go

Many people are under the impression that the legal system is broken and extremely inadequate. These are the people who have witnessed the faults of the justice system firsthand. They may have been a victim of assault or theft, only to find out that the defendant ended up walking away with little to no consequences. So, in order to ensure personal justice, they decided that they would never again trust another lawyer. This way of thinking can lead to many mistakes in the handling of court cases. If your loved one has been the victim of elder neglect, this mindset can be particularly damaging, as a nursing home abuse attorney could really help them get the compensation and justice they deserve.

For these people, when it's time for them to go up against someone in the court of law, they may take things into their own hands. In their eyes, no one else is capable of handling the situation as well as they can. They are happy to represent themselves. In their eyes, nothing is worse than spending money on a lawyer. Then, there are those who would rather bypass the legal system altogether. This will allow them to create their own form of justice.

One particular instance where someone could decide not to seek legal assistance is in the case of elder neglect. They may find out that their elderly parent or grandparent has been mistreated and abused while staying at a nursing facility. Finding out this type of information is enough to make anyone angry. However, the smartest thing wouldn't be for them to take matters into their own hands, either by arguing their own case in court or otherwise. Choosing not to hire a nursing home abuse attorney, in this case, could be one of the worst decisions the person could make.

By taking matters into their own hands, the person is doing their victimized loved one a huge disservice. A nursing home abuse attorney can help to make sure that the victim gets fairly compensated for their injuries, expenses and pain and suffering. This lawyer can also help to make sure the abuser is actually brought to justice, and is unable to neglect or victimize any other people in the future.

So, although seeking vigilante justice may seem like a better idea than hiring a nursing home abuse attorney; it actually is the worst route someone can take. Of course, the legal system has its flaws. However, when all is said and done, justice is usually served.

Nursing Home Insurance - Tips on Buying

Many consumers carry life, health and automobile insurance. This has always been a fact for the average responsible citizen. As the population has begun to age, the spotlight has also been thrown on a new reason to be insured. Long term care policies and nursing home reimbursement plans have suddenly gotten a lot of media attention recently. Families are beginning to think about how they will care for their aging relatives.

When a person can no longer live independently because of aging or disability, the cost of taking care of them can be astronomical. It can be the straw that breaks their financial camel's back. In the olden days, the extended family would step in to take over their relatives' caretaking. Times have changed, however. Nowadays, all adults in a household are usually gone from the home all day due to their jobs. Housing accommodations have become smaller and don't often have enough room to incorporate another adult. If the aging granny needs handicapped provisions, the average home will not be properly equipped. Hiring a nurse or daytime caregiver would be extremely expensive.

Residential care homes or nursing facilities may be the best option for the elder's new living quarters. The problem is, without nursing home insurance, the monthly costs are often out of reach for the average Joe or Jane. With the coverage, however, the whole family can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their loved one is properly watched over.

Here's what you check into when you're looking at policies:

- Deductible: Find out how much will be paid for by the insurance company and how much out-of-pocket expense will stack up beforehand.
- Pay per day: Find out what the dollar amount is that the company will cover for each day. There should be an adjustment for inflation, as well.
- How many years will be covered? When signing up for this protection, there will be varying time periods to choose from. Make a wise decision, not just one that is based on a cheaper premium.
- Make certain this is a reputable company. Look into their complaint records with the Better Business Bureau and the local insurance boards to make sure that they are an ethical business.

The best time to buy a long term care policy is way before it is needed. Even if an individual is young, it's never too early to begin thinking about retirement and protecting loved ones from becoming financially burdened as time goes on.

Find a Good Nursing Home for the Elderly

Finding the right nursing home facility is a daunting task. It is one of the most important decisions older adults and their families have to make. Families have to make sure they will choose the right facility that will continue to make improvements in the lives of their elderly. One that will make them feel "at home".

To ensure that your loved one is getting the best possible care, consider these initial steps:

- Get an attorney for medical care. This will help you review medical records and make health care decisions for your loved one.

- Request for a complete list of facility profiles from your local state health department.

- After choosing potential centers, visit them one by one. Pay attention to staffing levels and the various recreational activities they have to keep the residents mentally and physically engaged.

- Review their admission agreement.

- Be involved in care conferences. Know the plans the facility has for your loved one. Take seriously any complaints of mistreatment and do not be intimidated by threats from the facility. Report them immediately to your state licensing office.

- Find out what the employees like and don't like about their working environment and employer. The attitude and contentment of the staff will have a direct affect on the care and attention your loved one will receive.

There are reasons why senior day care centers are deemed undesirable. Some find nursing homes smell like urine while others are worried about stories where the elderly get mistreated, and sometimes die, inside the facility. That was in the past; today, nursing homes provide a variety of activities dedicated to keep the residents mentally and physically engaged.

It's no secret that people are more inclined to do activities that match their interest. This is actually one big challenge for a nursing home. Staff should match the right activity to each resident's individual physical and cognitive capabilities.

A good nursing home should provide its residents with stimulating activities that would meet the various needs of the people in their care. These can be done individually or in groups. Consider some of these:

-Social Activities. These activities are designed to keep residents engaged, entertained and at the same time, offer physical and mental benefits. It ranges from birthday parties, ice cream socials, tail gate parties, story time, and musical events to holiday programs and food-centered activities.

- Physical Activities. These types of activities are designed to promote physical and mental health of the elderly. It includes morning exercises, resistance training, sensory stimulation, pet therapy and gardening.

-Crafts. Crafts provide entertainment and artistry. It can also contribute to the resident's sense of accomplishment and purpose that can be very beneficial to their state of mind. These activities include sewing, rug hooking, finger painting, knitting and crocheting, leather crafts, and holiday ornaments.

Considering a nursing home for your loved one is a serious decision -- one that must be made with as much information as possible. Knowing what to look for in a facility, the questions to ask, and what residents are entitled to are all necessary.

Living on Long Island - Something For Every Senior

Long Island truly is one of the best places in the United States to live, especially for senior citizens. It is far enough outside of New York City to have a nice suburban feel, but close enough to the city to have plenty to do. In fact, there is so much to do on the island that there is something for everyone, no matter what your interests and hobbies are.

For the music lover, there are plenty of local concerts. As the spring and summer months approach many concerts are held outdoors in parks and arboretums. A popular summer concert is the New York Philharmonic at Heckscher State Park. There are also concerts for the different holidays throughout the year, including a traditional Irish concert in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. If musical theatre is where your heart belongs, Long Island has plenty of that too. There are so many local theatres that put on outstanding productions. Long Island also has programs that put an educational spin on theatre.

While spending your days at concerts and the theatre can be exhilarating, it can also be tiring. But don't worry - Long Island is also the home to many senior communities where quieter activities are offered daily. For example, the Wyandanch Senior Nutrition Center offers bridge games each day and there is no cost to play. Out in East Hampton, the Senior/Youth Center hosts an arts and crafts session each Thursday and Friday.

When you have had your fun going to concerts, seeing a show, playing bridge, or expressing your creativity, you can exercise your brain by attending one of the many senior educational programs that can be found on Long Island. Many recreation centers offer mah jong games in order to help seniors keep their minds young and fresh. There are also self-help classes which can be beneficial as well. A senior complex in Smithtown hosts a seminar that helps seniors know how to avoid being trapped in a scam that targets their demographic.

In addition to the many organized activities, you can find plenty of things to do on your own when you live on Long Island. There are beaches and parks all over where you can spend a nice day going for a walk or reading a book. You can visit the different historical sites on the island, the aquarium, or go whale watching off the Montauk shore.

No matter how you like to spend your days, you will be able to find activities on Long Island that interest you. Long Island is a great place to live and a great place to spend your golden years.

How to Make Sure That You Never End Up Living in a Nursing Home

It goes without saying that nobody wants to end up in a nursing home. It's the single worst scenario in most people's imagination. Would it be an exaggeration to say it's "a fate worse than death"? Not to worry, it's avoidable, and I am going to tell you how. But first let's explore some ideas and define what a nursing home is.

First of all, you should know that on any given day in the U.S., 1 out of 4 people over the age of 65 are in a nursing home, temporarily. The chances of you, your parent or spouse spending some time in a nursing home at some point in your life is also 25%. Pretty high right? But keep in mind, that there is a vast difference between spending some days recovering from a hospital stay before going home, and living in a nursing home. Let me clarify that for you.

There are several synonymous names for a nursing home: S.N.F. (pronounced "sniff") otherwise known as a skilled nursing facility, convalescent hospital, Rehab, rehabilitation hospital, even sanitarium. "A rose by any other name..." right? Nowadays, if an older person has a stay in the hospital, they still need some recovery time before they can safely go back home. It might be a hip fracture, a broken arm, or even an infection or a bout of pneumonia; nevertheless they are going to spend a few days or a few weeks recovering before being allowed to go home. These days hospitals release people "sicker and quicker" due to the Medicare reimbursement schedules. Several years ago to save money, the Medicare system went through every conceivable cause for hospitalization and gave it a value of x-number of hospital days, then told hospitals "this is what we will pay you...period. And it's now a fact of life that nursing homes are a major player in the Medicare system, because they are cheaper than hospitals. So unless you are scheduled for surgery or you are in ICU, you are getting shipped out ASAP to a skilled nursing facility.

However, at any given time a large percentage of patients in nursing homes are there for the rest of their life. They are considered to be in "custodial care". They are never going home. They are usually people that need to be on 'machines' or just plain ran out of money and now Medicaid is footing the bill. But chances are for most of them, it could have been avoided.

So how do you avoid ending your days in a nursing home? Compromise. I will tell you that the best way to avoid a nursing home is to move into a board & care or an assisted living before you get so sick that you lose all your options. It's like this: many older adults refuse to consider assisted living until it's too late and then end up in a nursing home, sometimes for 5 or 6 years. And it was avoidable. This is why: there are some weird rules in the licensing of an assisted living community that make it easy to "age-in-place" if you are already living there when you start declining.

But the same rules make it very hard to move into an assisted living if you are seriously chronically ill and trying to move in for the first time.

For example, imagine two people that are very chronically ill, the one that moved into the assisted living early on, is allowed to stay, even go on hospice for the remainder of their days, but the other that was living at home when their health turned worse will likely have a very difficult time moving into the A.L. community. The reason is most assisted livings usually do not want to take someone that will drain their resources, and/or the licensing agency will not allow admission to assisted living because the severity of their illness. And if you are on a limited income - forget about it. Assisted Livings and board and care homes are private pay only. Medicare and Medicaid will not contribute a dime for you to live in assisted living (even though it's cheaper for them). Why is another article, let's just say Medicare and Medicaid pay for medical issues and assisted living is considered a social issue. The much longer explanation can be found on government websites, or you can check the sites listed in my bio.

But to be perfectly honest, most people that are struggling to live alone should not hesitate to move into an assisted living community! Unfortunately in many people's mind they think that they are maintaining their "independence" by struggling alone at home, when in fact they are far from independence. And this is a major delusion because most older adults who live alone are isolated, they rarely get out, they don't eat well, they can't keep up with the cleaning let alone basic home maintenance. They are often depressed because they have, in most cases, lived alone for years with only a television for company and most of their friends have passed on or moved away. Yet they continue to stay at home alone without proper care, nutrition, or socialization. Against all logic and argument to the contrary, they stubbornly hang on to their delusion of independence.

Let me paint a picture for you. A move to an assisted living community is like a combination of moving into an apartment and going on an Alaskan cruise. Forgive my over-generalization but imagine this: in assisted living you have an apartment-like suite that includes meals, housekeeping, and tons of socialization and activities. A typical day consists of getting up and going for breakfast in a restaurant setting and while you are out the housekeeper comes and makes your bed (once a week she changes all your linins). After breakfast you can go to the exercise class or the library or just go watch TV. When lunch time rolls around you go down to the dining room and have a nutritious meal and then head over to the next activity or go take a nap, before you know it, its dinner time. And after dinner there is a movie in the Theatre before you go to bed. Sounds nice? Keep in mind that you never again have to shop for groceries, cook, or wash a single dish. You don't have pay the utilities, maintain a car, or even do your laundry. Every moment of the day is yours to do with as you will. Now tell me who is really the "independent" person? Best of all, you are able to "age-in-place". You will develop new friendships and will have an emotional support structure that will remain with you indefinitely. Most people that come to assisted living are fairly healthy with the usual assortment of aging related issues, but as they get older they will need more help: assisted living offers things like medication management, bathing assistance, laundry service, transportation, housekeeping, meals, incontinence care and even dedicated one-on-one care. But few people need even half of these services when they first move in. That's what we mean by aging-in-place.

To review, the way most board and care homes and assisted livings communities are licensed, a person can stay in an assisted living no matter how bad they get; even until they qualify for hospice and end of life. (There are some prohibitive conditions, but they are so severe, you would not imagine them in anything but a clinical setting, like feeding tubes and breathing machines). So if you are willing to compromise your "independence" a little early on, you can spend your last few years in a supportive, apartment-like setting, and guarantee that younever end up in "custodial care" at a nursing home.

Nursing Home Humiliation

When people age, they often lose the ability to care for themselves for natural reasons. This usually means that an individual may lose the ability to function in some ways, which requires them to rely on the assistance of others to live out their remaining days.

Since this is a full time job, families are often left to admit their elderly loved ones to nursing homes where attendants are available to offer care and assistance 24 hours a day. Unfortunately, this is an idealistic picture of nursing homes; the reality may be in stark contrast.

Some nursing home attendants become frustrated with their jobs and take out their anger on their patients. One way in which they may do this is through humiliation. Humiliation is the act of emotionally attacking an individual for his or her qualities.

Many of the qualities that an elderly care attendant may emotionally attack a patient for are beyond a patient's control. That is, patients are unable to care for themselves because of the way they have aged, which they cannot influence.

Nursing home staff may humiliate individuals in front of fellow residents or in front of other staff members. This may lower the elderly individual's sense of self worth, sending him or her into a state of depression and loathing.

This severe emotional trauma may cause an individual to suffer a rapid decline in health, which may ultimately lead to a premature death. As such, families of individuals who have been humiliated in elderly care facilities should fight to hold the responsible facility accountable.

Nursing Offers Top Jobs for Felons - Get the Inside Track on Nursing Jobs for Felons

Finding good employment for felons is one of the most difficult problems that ex-convicts encounter. Since the economic downturn has left many unemployed, finding high-paying or even steady employment for felons has become very tough. One of the best ways to get a recession-proof job is to choose a career in a growing industry such as health care. Nursing, in particular, is a career that offers many advantages for ex-felons.

Felon Job Opportunities: Nursing

Nursing as a profession is now very much in demand. The U.S. has such a serious shortage of nurses that foreign nurses are being recruited in mass to fill the gap. From now until 2014, registered nurses are expected to create the second largest number of new jobs in the U.S. among all occupations, according to the Department of Labor.

In addition, the pay is good and there are numerous job opportunities for felons since nurses can work in many different places. These include hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, residential homes, occupational health services, prisons, schools, leisure cruise ships, etc. Nurses can also work for the U.S. armed forces and voluntary non-profit organizations.

As a career choice for ex-felons, the medical field is one of the most prestigious and has the best potential for job security since there is a severe imbalance between demand and availability of qualified personnel. Not only are there plentiful job opportunities for felons who are qualified nurses, career advancement is also expected to be rapid due to the shortage of experienced nurses.

Felon Friendly Jobs: How to Become a Nurse

Nurses focus on the individual's needs and provide care, counseling and advice. This career is for people who have the qualities of compassion and patience as well as skills in critical thinking and problem-solving.

All paths to a nursing career must begin with a high school diploma or a GED.

The next step is to take either a diploma or degree course in nursing so that you will gain the proper clinical knowledge needed. You can finish an associate degree course in nursing in two years while a bachelor's degree in nursing takes four years to complete.

Then you will have to pass the state board exam for nursing to get your license. At this point you can get a job as a nurse.

Even after you get your nursing license, you can still choose to continue your education and specialize. Examples of nursing specialties are nurse anesthesiologists, nurse practitioners, legal nurse investigators, critical care nurses, etc.

Employment for Felons: Nursing License

Of course, if you know anything about nursing the first question in your mind right now is whether or not you are eligible for a nursing license if you have a felony conviction.

You will have to check your state's laws about nursing licenses. Call your nursing board, explain your situation including the details about your felony and ask what you will need to do to get a license or to sit for the nursing exam.

All states will have stringent screening procedures in place for all registered nurses but most likely, having a felony does not automatically bar you from the profession.

The California Board of Registered Nursing, for example, evaluates each application they receive on a case by case basis and that there is no specific type of felony conviction that will disqualify an applicant automatically. If you have a felony and there is some question regarding your eligibility for a nursing license, you will have to submit some proofs of rehabilitation. Your case will then be judged depending on the nature, severity and how recent you were charged as well as rehabilitation and other extenuating factors.

In other words, you will have to jump through more hoops than a regular applicant but if you can show that you have been rehabilitated then you can still work as a registered nurse, especially if it has been many years since the felony.

Nursing Job for Felons: Summary

Nursing jobs for felons are a good choice for people who desire a secure, high-paying job with lots of potential for career advancement. You will also get to help others who are in need of care. Nursing jobs for felons are for people who have compassion for the sick and problem-solving skills. A nursing diploma or bachelor's degree is needed to apply for nursing. You will also have to pass the state board exam to get a nursing license. Job opportunities for felons with a nursing license are not limited to hospitals. You can get employment for felons who are registered nurses in places like clinics, cruise ships, nursing homes, schools, etc.

Celebrities Endorse No Texting While Driving Campaign

Everyone knows that it's dangerous to drive when you're distracted. Cell phone usage should not occur while driving and that includes texting. Unfortunately far to many people do not practice safe driving.

This is a very real and scary habit of teenage drivers. Whether you've been driving for 5 days or 50 years you should never talk on your mobile phone or text while driving.

In an effort to raise awareness about the issue some celebrities like Justin Bieber have started supporting campaigns that encourage people not to text and drive. Bieber is supporting an application for your cell phone that locks the keypad of your cellular phone when it senses that it is inside a vehicle that is going over 10 mph.

In addition, Allstate has a campaign out now called "X The Text". And LG has filed public service announcements that speak out against the use of cell phones while driving.

Allstate's campaign has the support of stars like the Jonas Brothers and American Idol alum, Jordin Sparks. LG has filed public service announcements featuring Jane Lynch from "Glee".

Cell phone usage while driving has been getting a lot of attention because it presents a very serious danger.

Using a cell phone while you drive decreases your reaction time. Someone who sends text messages while driving is 20 times more likely to get into an accident than a peer who is not texting while driving.

Some believe that when the talk on their cell phone while driving but use a hands free device they are being safe. This simply is not the case. Carrying on a conversation on your cell phone even if you have two hands on the wheel is a distraction and can increase your chances of being involved in an accident.

In addition to cell phone usage there are other actions that distract drivers. Eating while driving, holding a pet in your lap, applying make-up or looking in the mirrors are all forms of distractions that can lead to a very serious accident.

When you are involved in an accident and you believe the person responsible was distracted by cell phone usage or something else it's important to know that a Chicago cell phone accidents attorney may be able to help you. After an accident medical bills can spiral out of control. It's important to hold the person responsible for the accident. Your Illinois car crash lawyer can help you file a claim.

Jewish Wisdom on the Afterlife

Scattered throughout the large body of Talmudic and later writings, one can construct a comprehensive picture of the Torah's (Bible's) understanding of the hereafter.

Immortality of the soul, Resurrection, and the concept of Heaven are all featured prominently in Jewish tradition, but they are not explicitly stated in the Torah. For this reason, a careful analysis of Jewish texts and commentaries is needed in order to create a clear picture of what happens to the soul after the body has died.

THE SOUL

According to rabbinic material the soul goes on a journey after it departs the body. Along the way it may encounter such things as 'pains of the grave' (Hibbut ha-kever), the 'angel of silence' (Dumah), the 'angel of death' (Satan), 'catapult of the soul' (Kaf ha-Kela), 'purgatory' (Gehinom), and 'paradise' (Gan Eden). These concepts are often expressed via analogies and parables by the Jewish sages, as they felt that these concepts were beyond average human understanding.

According to the Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism), after a person passes on and sheds the physical form, the soul continues to be quite conscious of the people and the universe it has left behind. But as time goes on, the soul ceases to dwell in the physical universe as we know it and journeys into a non-dimensional reality.

Existence in the afterlife is a continuation of this life, organically flowing from this life into the next, minus one's physical form. A person's individuality, contained as a memory unit, lives on after death. The entire personality, which is the cumulative selfhood of the soul-type, survives, including all life experiences that have been imprinted on the soul.

The measure of survival and immediacy of "soul memory" capable of attaining reintegration with "gan eden" (heaven/paradise) is commensurate with the level of soul actualization manifested during life. If we have lived in complete harmony with our soul, the transition is immediate, while those who have lived a more disharmonious and misaligned existence may need to trek a longer route in order to reach their destination. Eventually all souls get there, completing full circle and returning to their Source.

REINCARNATION

According to the sages, the 'sparks' that were one's soul in this life remain part of the soul in the afterlife, while other sparks reincarnate and gradually become individualized souls for other people. The unifying factor between all these incarnations is that, collectively, they constitute "one soul."

Just as a tree has one root, but also has multiple branches extending in all directions, so too does each individual soul share the same root but unfolds and unravels and becomes apparent throughout many lives as individual spiritual soul energies for different people. Although the soul keeps on dividing and subdividing itself in each incarnation, it retains wholesomeness and a sense of completion.

Even after the first possesssor of the soul passes away and elements of soul that became exclusively that person's remain his or hers, and only the remainder of the soul reincarnates, this "remainder" is also complete.

Contrary to popular belief, souls do not reincarnate to rectify previous misdeeds or to complete someone else's story. Rather, they exist to reach their own actualization and individuation. In each evolving incarnation, the soul articulates another element of its nature.

Reincarnation from one human being to the next is for the purpose of self-elevation, not so much for the correction of past life errors. Errors are amended for and fixed in the afterlife, not on earth. When souls descend for rectification in this world, they mostly do so as other forms of life, not within the human form.

Another, more unique form, of reincarnation is discussed by the Sages: the reincarnation of the perfected soul...or a soul belonging to that of a "tzaddik" (righteous person). Normally a soul will return to attain a deeper, more expansive level of articulation. Yet from time to time, souls settle in this realm of existence, not for themselves per se, but to help those around them attain their own "tikkun" (restoration or repair) and reach their soul destiny.

There are clusters of souls that gravitate toward each other physically as they are spiritually linked, sharing the same soul roots. Occasionally, a "perfected" soul will descend to assist those souls to which it is connected, in order to help them reach their maximum spiritual potential.

Ultimately, the purpose of a soul's descent into various forms of existence is for lessons it can acquire, and once these are achieved the soul re-attains its purity and is able to enter "Gan Eden" (paradise/heaven).

HEAVEN

In Judaism, Heaven and Hell are not physical places - they are better described as 'states' in which the soul can reside. The blissful feeling of heaven or the agonizing dread of hell is based on the choices we make. Throughout life, we can either pick heaven or choose hell. Heaven is inclusive, hell is exclusive. In the heavenly paradigm, it is me and you. In hell there can only be me or you.

To exist in heaven is to live in an embracing condition of openness and transcendence, whereas living in hell is where every person we meet is suspected as an enemy, and every experience we have is potentially threatening.

To live in a heavenly manner is to experience a self devoid of opaque ego, aggression, or resentment. The converse of this state is considered hell. With regard to the afterlife journey, in a manner of speaking, one soul's heaven is another's hell. To some degree, all souls return to the same place: for some souls, merging with the light is a transcendent elation, while other souls - those accustomed to being ego oriented, self centered, and selfish - experience the very same encounter as hell.

Movement into the afterlife is determined by the soul's success in developing in this life. As in this life, what we are when er are older is generally, though not necessarily, a reflection of who we were when we were younger. Similarly, in the afterlife, what is experienced "there" is a reflection of what was accomplished "here." The soul advances from one level of awareness to a higher one in accordance with the life it led. Souls can also be assisted in their afterlife journey by the actions performed in their memory by the living.

Although "Gan Eden" (Heaven or Paradise) is the ultimate destination for souls, infinite levels exist within this destination. Most broadly, higher/deeper gan eden us dedicated to the expansive pleasure of divine contemplation; the less intense level of gan eden is more an emotional form of delight. The level the soul attains immediately following death depends on the measure of spiritual attainment it has reached here on earth.

A soul that finds itself too confused or bewildered to enter higher/deeper dimensions within gan eden may first experience lower grades, until it becomes fully acclimated. The lower levels of gan eden serve as an orientation, allowing the soul to become accustomed to its new bodiless existence, until it becomes able to reintegrate with the infinite light and join with eternal goodness.

Heaven is the spiritual culmination of our work here in this world. While for some people this is the glorious end of life to a mediocrity of life's middle, for others this evolved spiritual condition is attained, partially or even fully, in the present world.

Average Nursing Home Costs

The average cost of nursing homes varies to such an extreme that it is necessary to break the issue down into subsections. There are nursing homes, residential homes, dual registered homes and specialist Dementia care homes. The four different types cater for different needs and consequently will have different average costs.

Nursing Homes

Nursing homes will have facilities for personal care, but with an added dimension of medical care too. These homes will have their own qualified nurses, which obviously pushes the price up. Studies have been conducted to suggest what the average costs are for nursing homes. For a standard nursing home privately it would cost around $36,000 dollars annually. For partially private, it would be a little less, but still significantly pricey. There are nursing homes available which are at least partially state funded, but they are available only to those who truly cannot afford to pay for their own assisted living costs.

Residential Homes

Residential homes are a type of nursing home where personal care is provided, but without the need for expensive medical treatments. In these homes the costs are slightly less, but as they provide round the clock care, they are still expensive. Dependent on the area you live and the type of home you choose, the costs can be up to $75,000 per year. This is a significant impact on even well established retirement funds. Medicare or Medicaid will only be able to offer you so much assistance, and you must therefore assume that you will be paying the majority of these costs yourself.

Dual Registered Homes

Dual registered homes are designed for elderly couples who want to stay together, but have different levels of medical needs. These establishments will often have a set number of beds which are marked as 'residential' and a set number for 'nursing'. These are more complex to run, and must provide two levels of care, which does impact on price. However, it is difficult to get an 'average' for these kinds of establishments, as the costs will vary depending on the needs of the couple in question. Again, the costs will also vary depending on whether you are in private or partially private care.

Dementia Care Homes

The final type of nursing home I will cover is the dementia specific care home. These homes specialize in the care of people who have mental rather than physical impairment. This can include dementia, Alzheimer's and a variety of other mental conditions. These establishments are quite expensive to run due to the level of care needed to ensure that the patients are monitored at all times. Due to the nature of these conditions, it is more likely that you can get state help. They should be able to perform an assessment on your relative to see if you are entitled to help in the costs of their care. The average costs of this care vary, but in the UK the average is around £25,000. In the US the figures are similar at around $50,000.

The Abusive Relationship - Understanding the Difference Between Compliance and Change

Can the abuser change? The short answer: Yes.

Anyone can change. It's a matter of desire, will and motive. Healthy people are generally desirous of change when they genuinely care about how their actions affect others and will accept an opportunity to contribute to their relationships in a meaningful way.

Does the abuser really want to change? The short answer: No.

Abusers don't care if you're happy; they care if they're happy. Their control is far more important than your happiness. Therefore, on the occasion where his enabler-victim identifies an area of dissatisfaction or conflict in the relationship, the abuser will quickly attempt to squelch any discontent through verbal jeopardizing, diminishment or yelling.

However, there are times when a victim is committed to requiring that the abuser face and address an issue. It may reflect a legitimate need for additional help around the house, an increased measure of financial responsibility, or more freedom for a family member to pursue a favorite hobby, pastime or academic objective. When the abuser feels truly cornered, he may agree to accommodate his enabler's request.

But, is he committed to change? Or is what he offers merely compliance? There is a cavernous difference between them. As enablers, we are often quick to accept the abuser's smallest measure of movement toward meeting our needs as evidence of sincere change. But, what is he offering: compliance or change?

Remember, an abuser doesn't want what is best for the relationship; he wants what is best for him. With this in mind, when you confront him, often he will initially deny there is any problem at all. The problem is yours. You are wrong.

Then, he may become resentful that you are asking him to alter his behavior at all or contribute to a greater degree to the relationship. You are being selfish.

Under pressure, he may concede. You are willing to accept this concession as a sign of his deep-down love for you. You tell him how much you appreciate his willingness to help. You think he will see that such a small gesture makes you happy - and that will make him happy. In truth, he believes that you are demanding. You are asking something of him that he does not want to give. He simply wants to get you off his back.

What happens over time will begin to tell the story. Here are some clues to tell you if he is intent on changing or if he is merely complying.

• Real Change is Voluntary; Compliance is Obligatory


• Real Change is Sincere; Compliance is Half-Hearted


• Real Change is Lasting; Compliance is Temporary

These stark differences reflect attitude, motive and commitment.

Attitude In a healthy relationship, a mature and genuinely caring husband wants his wife to feel supported, fulfilled and encouraged. He wants her to know she is appreciated at home, and he is willing to help her (as she is similarly willing to help him) with the management of the household, children, finances, and the balanced fulfillment of her life's goals.

When it is understood that there is an imbalance, he will willingly commit to additional responsibility, even acknowledging some inconvenience and flexibility as he adapts to change. If the change is genuine, you will see a positive attitude. If it is merely compliance, his attitude will be one of benign or perhaps even resentful accommodation.

Motive

In the days that come, you may see a little extra effort. You embrace it with gratitude and believe that he will see that his contribution makes a positive difference that benefits the household. You are almost gleeful that he is willing to contribute to the relationship in a more meaningful way. Don't get too excited yet.

An abuser often rejects boundaries or limitations on his life, and views them as unacceptably confining or rigid. Although he may initially conform, his tendency will be to sabotage the change using any number of subtle or not-so-subtle strategies.

He will forget.

He will perform his duties poorly.

He will become frustrated.

He will make excuses.

He will complain.

He will make himself unavailable.

He will fall ill.

He will claim he is too tired.

He will claim he is incapable.

He will decide the duty is "not for him."

The abuser is determined to find a way to get you to let him off the hook, or conjure up evidence that you're nit-picky or demanding. This is not change.

Commitment Sometimes the signs of compliance may not be so overt. The abuser may initially accommodate your request. It may just be that the "change" is temporary, fading into nothingness over time. You feel obligated to pick up the slack as a means of trying to show that you can be flexible and to set an example of the give and take that is evident in a healthy relationship. You once again assume his share of responsibility, and he readily absolves himself and allows you to carry on. In fact, he seems so much happier when you relieve him of his obligation that you feel guilty asking him to share the burden when other needs surface. The gradual fading away of your original understanding could give way to frustration and anger, yet should you confront him, he will likely assert that:

You're impossible to please.

You need to accept him as he is.

He did what you asked.

It's your job, anyway.

You're a nag.

You have learned that it is simply easier to do things yourself to shield yourself from the anxiety and disappointment, even while recognizing that the imbalance remains. Best of all (for him), the abuser got what he wanted, which is not to have to do what he doesn't want to do.

My former husband was habitually late to virtually every commitment and appointment. I once asked him why he never made an effort to arrive on time, and he responded quite matter-of-factly, "Because no one is ever going to tell me when I have to be anywhere." From what I have been able to tell, that attitude is pretty indicative of an abuser's mindset. It makes no difference to him whether what he is being asked to do is helpful, cooperative, considerate, beneficial or necessary.

Unfortunately, the abuse victim may have difficulty grasping that the abuser doesn't want to contribute anything unless he is assured of a direct and immediate benefit as a result. Even though an abuse victim has witnessed - perhaps time and time again - the deterioration of what she had optimistically embraced as evidence of change, the abuser's initial effort is enough to keep her hopeful. True, the abuser didn't meet her expectations in this particular instance - or did so only temporarily. But, surely his fleeting consideration must be a sign that - somewhere deep down - he is genuinely receptive to her needs and desires, right? Or perhaps it is too much trouble to even beg for his attention. Instead, she may do her best to accommodate her abuser's every whim and live in his shadow, ever hopeful that one day he might want to change while history cautions that compliance may be all she ever gets.

Clearly, compliance and change are not synonymous. Do not confuse the two.

Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) - Good Income, Great Job Satisfaction

The course to become a certified nursing assistant requires some classroom as well as hands-on training. The candidates undergo intense study of skills and knowledge to become a certified nursing assistant. The students are made aware of the job requisites and familiar with terminology and treatment to help the patient. The practical training is provided to train students in real life situations which they will have to face during the real job. Students, during there courses are taken to the field to experience the things under expert supervision. They are also given exposure to treat patients with mental and physical abnormalities. They are thus made familiar with tough situations so that they can deal professionally manner.

The training include classroom sessions, video instructions, lectures by experts and professionals from industry, audio/video instruction manuals and live demonstration by other / senior CAN's. There are some institutes which offer online classroom facility to better adjust with students' time constraints.

Job Opportunities for Nursing Assistants, Personal Attendant, Respite Worker

There are several options for the certified Nursing Assistants, Personal Attendant and Respite Workers. They are always in demand at some healthcare centers like:
- Retirement Homes
- Nursing Homes
- Group Homes
- Hospice Centers
- Day Care Centers
- Health Care Agencies
- Private Homes
- Hospitals
- Old age homes
- Rehabilitation centers
- No-profit Organizations

Students are provided hands-on training and practical exposure during their education so that they can easily be placed to paid positions immediately after their training. These training institutes are contacted by many employers for their requirements of CNAs, which in turn send their students for these positions.

What a Certified Nursing Attendants (CNA) does:

A trained Certified Nursing Attendant, Personal Attendant or Respite worker is equipped with skills and experience both to bring positive impact on lives of those who need to use their services. Here are some important services that a qualified PSW take cares of -

Personal Care - the worker will provide basic care of elderly residents or patients during rehabilitation period.

Restorative Care - these workers will provide palliative care service for the dying hospitals, physical health

Care Duties - the workers may also be required to keep medical records of their patients updated, procedures.

There is a steep rise in nursing homes and long-term care facilities in all the developed countries like US, UK, Canada, Australia, etc. and so is rising the demand of Personal Support Workers. This is going to be great job prospects for certified PSWs in the field of Nursing Assistant, Health Care Aid, Home Support Worker, Personal Attended or Respite Worker.

How To Choose The Right Type of Assisted Living or Care Home For Your Senior Loved One

Your parent or elderly relative has reached the point where they can no longer live on their own, and now you must find them a solution. The idea of finding senior housing or care home for your loved one can seem overwhelming at first, but having a better understanding of all the available options can definitely make the process much easier and less stressful. Read on to learn about the types of assisted living and care home options for seniors.

Senior Independent Living

Independent living communities (also referred to as retirement communities) are the ideal option for healthy and active seniors who want to live independently amongst other seniors who they can join in educational, cultural and other social activities for entertainment. Many retirement communities feature extensive amenities such as hiking trails, swimming pools, golf courses, fitness clubs, monthly activities, and more.

A Senior Independent Living Community (Retirement Community) may be the right option if:

• The senior does not require medical assistance
• The senior prefers a low-maintenance home and/or lifestyle

Assisted Living

An assisted living facility is suitable for seniors who want to live independently but need help with day-to-day activities. Among assisted living communities there is a wide variation in the level of care that may be provided, however most assisted living facilities generally offer meals, housekeeping, social activities, and transportation. However, seniors in this type of housing should not have any serious medical conditions as most do not offer 24-hour supervision, and they are not required to have nurses and/or doctors on site at all times.

Assisted Living may be the right senior care home option if:

• The senior wants to maintain independence
• The senior is still active and wants to participate in social activities
• The senior needs help with activities of daily living
• The senior does not require 24-hour supervision

Nursing Homes

Nursing homes provide medical care for seniors with serious medical conditions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from a registered nurse, licensed vocational nurse and/or certified nursing aide. Residents typically share a room, are served meals in a central dining area, and have the opportunity to be involved in social activities.

A Nursing Home may be the right option if:

• The senior has a serious medical condition that requires around-the-clock nurse assistance
• The senior experiences mobility issues

Alzheimer's Care

Alzheimer's care facilities specialize in the dedicated treatment and care of people with Alzheimer's and dementia. Residents generally live in semi-private apartments and have structured activities with staff members. Similar to an assisted living community, an Alzheimer's care facility will also provide personal services like help with eating, toileting, bathing, grooming, dressing, etc. Additionally, most Alzheimer's care facilities feature 24-hour support, a higher level of security to protect wanderers, and color-coded and/or circular layouts to prevent confusion.

Alzheimer's Care may be the right option if:

• The senior requires specialized care for Alzheimer's disease or dementia

Continuing Care Retirement Communities

Continuing care retirement communities are senior care facilities that offer flexible accommodations intended to meet the changing needs of seniors. They provide appropriate levels of senior care support for independent living, assisted living, or nursing care all in one facility so that seniors can move there and never worry about moving again.

A Continuing Care Retirement Community may be the right option if:

• The senior would like to select from a wide range of services and amenities
• The senior prefers privacy, but may require assistance later on

It's a big change for both you and your aging loved one to move to an assisted living or senior care home, but by gathering information prior to the need arising, you will have more time to fully explore all the possibilities, making the transition much easier.

Elder Care Facilities and Children

Bringing children to visit grandparents in an elder care, assisted living, or similar residence is not only a valuable experience for everyone, but recommended. Many residents of elder care facilities feel isolated from the outside world. Visits from their grandchildren or great-grandchildren often brighten their days as well as those of many of the residents who live in the facility.

Before the First Visit

Don't take your children to visit Grandma or Grandpa until he or she settles into their new place. It may take a few days or even a few weeks for some elderly residents to get used to their new homes, so it's best to wait until then. You also want to talk to your children about where their grandparent lives.

Explain that some people who live there are lonely and don't have anyone to visit them, so they will be very happy to see some young faces. You can also read one of the many children's books available on the topic or if they are old enough, sit down and honestly explain what the facility is like. Tell them they may see residents in wheelchairs or with walkers, the building may have unfamiliar smells and they may come in contact with unresponsive residents.

Some general guidelines to consider before visiting an elder care facility with children include:

• Planning the visit in advance; you may need to check with facility to find out if/when children can visit


• Scheduling your visit during off-times such as mid-morning (9:30-11:30 a.m.), mid-afternoon (1:30-4:30 p.m.) and sometimes in the early evening (6-7:30 p.m.)


• Making sure you don't visit during a scheduled activity or when your loved one is at a doctor's appointment

On Visiting Day

The day of your child's first visit to an elder care facility is exciting. Make sure you bring quiet and small toys or other items to occupy your children and don't visit during their meal or nap times. Consider visiting after he or she eats and is well-rested. Other things to consider are:

• Talking to your children about being quiet and not running around as some residents may not take well to loud noises or sudden and quick moves from children


• Telling them what parts of the facility are off-limits such as offices, other residents' rooms or apartments, restrooms without your consent, etc.


• Reiterating that some residents may have memory impairments or other ailments that cause their unresponsiveness


• Be sure to talk to your children about being quiet and not running around as some residents may not take well to loud noises or sudden and quick moves from children


• Telling them what parts of the facility are off-limits such as offices, other residents' rooms or apartments, restrooms without your consent, etc.


• Reiterating that some residents may have memory impairments or other ailments that cause their unresponsiveness


• Remembering not to overstay your welcome. Especially on first visits, children may not last a long time without getting fidgety or restless. Don't overwhelm the residents either by staying a long time.

Activity and Gift Ideas

If your children can bring gifts or crafts to do with their grandparent, make sure you bring enough for several residents. You don't want anyone feeling left out! Gift ideas include:

• Homemade cards


• Fresh or silk flowers


• Plants


• Allowable treats (check with caregivers ahead of time for a list)


• Colored or drawn pictures


• Small stuffed animals


• Knitted or crocheted items such as lap blankets or scarves


• Puzzles to do together


• Books to read together

Make Special Memories

Visiting an elder care facility is a valuable experience for children. It will brighten the day for many of the residents, especially the loved one living there. Make sure to take pictures and create a scrapbook of the visit. It will be something the grandparent and child will value and remember for a long time.

Paying For Nursing Homes

When senior citizens are considering moving into a nursing home or receiving long-term services from elder care providers, it is important that they also consider the available options for funding this type of support. The options that many people consider include paying for these services out of pocket, receiving aid from the state that they live in, or applying for Medicaid when they are eligible. People can switch between different methods of payment, but most senior citizens will continue to be covered by insurance for medical procedures while living in a nursing home. Medicaid should not be confused with Medicare. Although Medicare does provide funding for senior citizens, it does not typically cover elder care services other than coverage for short term nursing aid after hospital stays.

Some senior citizens do not receive Medicaid coverage for elder care, so they either use personal savings or special coverage plans provided by their insurance companies. Policies like these allow for people to use life insurance funds for this purpose. It is important to understand any insurance policy fully before making a decision about a certain type of coverage.

Medicaid is a funding program, organized by both federal and state government, that finances many nursing home residents. An individual's eligibility for Medicaid or Medicare depends on:

• The nursing home that they wish to live in (whether these facilities accept Medicaid or have a bed available for those who wish to pay with Medicaid)


• Personal income and resources


• The state they reside in

Sometimes senior citizens will not qualify for Medicaid unless they have used some of their own money first. While living in a nursing home and receiving Medicaid, the government cannot lien on a senior citizen's home - that is take, sell, or hold property to recover benefits. If the owner of the property dies while in the nursing home, the government still cannot seize property if the spouse, sibling (with equity interest or lived there one year prior to their sibling's admission into the nursing home), or adolescent relative with disability is living at that residence.

Before becoming eligible for Medicaid, senior citizens are required to possess only a certain amount of assets which are specified by Medicaid. In special instances where the husband or wife of an individual who lives in a nursing home continues to live in their old residence, the spouse on the outside does not have to reduce their assets. They are allowed to keep up to half of joint assets as well as maintain a monthly income allowance. This allows one spouse to receive Medicaid while only being required to reduce half of the assets they share with a partner who may not qualify or wish to quality for Medicaid. The government works to prevent a spouse from losing assets due to costs of elder care - which is why they created "spousal impoverishment laws." This can involve the spouse legally keeping a portion of the joint assets or remaining entitled to a portion of the income the spouse in the nursing home receives on a monthly basis from respective programs.

The process of reducing an individual's assets is limited in that one is not allowed to give these away to family or friends as an alternative to putting them towards compensation to the state for elder care. That is, it is expected that individuals who wish to become eligible for Medicaid because of reduced assets will not give those assets away freely in order to receive funding from the state.

Medicaid can monitor transfer of assets within 5 years of applying for Medicaid and afterward. These transfers can be viewed as for "less than market value." This results in Medicaid not funding elder care for a certain period of time depending on how many assets were given away in order to be eligible. As before, there are exceptions to this penalty if the asset transfer involved a spouse, sibling, or disabled adolescent family member.

Another alternative to government aid or personal savings as a means to fund elder care is long-term care insurance. The advantage to programs like these is that there is much more variety in what insurance policies can cover depending on the specific plan and provider of the individual receiving elder care.

The Holiday Blues: How to Help Seniors Overcome Seasonal Depression

It's common for the holiday blues to creep up on us...and especially on seniors. Symptoms include sadness, weariness and exhaustion, inactivity, and a loss of appetite. Reasons for the holiday blues can vary - from memories of happier times to declining health, loss of a spouse or friends, and medical problems that can amplify seasonal depression. And while it isn't unusual for anyone to feel a bit down in the winter, it isn't healthy for seniors to be left alone.

Below are three ways to help seniors beat the holiday blues. Since many people feel that the holidays are a spiritual time, most of the activities listed below can take place through a senior's church or religious organization. Additionally, churches offer a variety of wonderful opportunities for seniors - from caroling and baking pies to visiting other church members in the hospital.

1. Socialization
Senior living facilities have activities available year 'round, and there are many opportunities to meet new people, socialize and have fun. In fact, many facilities invite seniors from nearby communities to visit and take part in the activities - creating ways for seniors who live at home to make new friends and learn about different pastimes. Lonely seniors should schedule time to get together with a large group of friends to share the latest pictures of grandkids and catch up on each other's lives. Activities - especially social activities - are an excellent way to keep the blues at bay, whether it's a cooking club, church choir or a group of seniors getting together to bake.

2. Exercise
One of the most effective ways to drive away the blues is with exercise. Whether it's a power walk or a nice stroll by the lake, exercise gets the blood pumping and produces endorphins which decrease and sometimes even eliminate feelings of depression. On nice, sunny days, it's important to get seniors out of the house. And on cold and gloomy days, exercise should still be a top priority. Local senior centers, churches and the YMCA offer exercise classes for seniors.

3. Volunteering
Volunteering is an excellent way for seniors to connect with other folks in their local community. There are so many volunteer choices in every community, from a local soup kitchen to a charity or educational organization. Volunteering lets seniors get out of the house and help others in need. And helping others doesn't just boost their spirits - it also increases a senior's self-confidence!

Keeping the holiday blues away is important for everyone - especially seniors - and staying occupied with positive activities is a surefire way to stay happy and healthy this season.

Caring For Someone With Alzheimer's Disease

In Home Care

Providing home care for senior citizens with Alzheimer's disease can be difficult. Symptoms progressively worsen, and predicting how quickly that progression will be or which behavioral changes will occur each day is impossible. Both the person with Alzheimer's and the caregiver may have a hard time carrying out activities of daily life, such as eating, talking, sleeping, and coming up with activities to do. The following is a set of ideas that may help you deal with issues related to elder home care for people with Alzheimer's.

Daily Activities

It may be challenging to think of activities that will be possible and interesting for a person with Alzheimer's to do. Trying activities that build on present strengths and abilities is usually more successful than attempting to teach a new skill.

• Try not to set your expectations too high. It may be best to do simple activities that employ current abilities.


• Assist the person in starting the activity. Take the activity one step at a time, and praise the person each time he or she completes a step.


• Take note of agitation or frustration with each activity. If you notice a negative change in mood, gently try to help him or her with the activity or subtly change to a new activity.


• If you notice that the person enjoys a particular activity, try to make that activity a part of your schedule at a similar time each day.


• Make use of adult day care centers, which provide activities and support for the person with Alzheimer's along with relief from caregiver tasks. Often, meals and transportation are provided in the cost of using these centers.


• Communicating with the person may be difficult-both understanding and being understood may become an issue. Try to use simple words and short sentences in a calm tone of voice.


• Refrain from talking to the person as if he or she were a child or talking as if the person were not there. To help the person focus, minimize background noise by turning off the radio and TV.


• Before talking, call the person by name to get his or her attention. Allow ample time for a response, and try not to interrupt.


• When the person with Alzheimer's struggles to communicate a thought or idea, try to gently suggest a word or idea he or she seems to be thinking of.


• When asking questions or giving directions, frame them in a positive way.


• Meals and eating can be a challenge-some people with Alzheimer's want to eat too often, whereas others may forget that they should eat. Provide a calm, quiet atmosphere during meals; this can allow the person to focus on eating.


• Offer limited choices for meals and serve small portions. Several small meals throughout the day may be a better option than three larger meals.


• Using straws or lidded cups may make drinking easier. Finger foods may be easier to handle than utensils, and bowls may be easier to use than plates.


• Keeping healthy snacks in a visible place will encourage healthy eating.


• See a dentist regularly to keep the person's mouth and teeth clean and healthy.


• Many people with Alzheimer's become restless, agitated, and irritable at night, usually around dinnertime. This is called "sundowning syndrome," and some planning might be necessary to ensure that the person goes to bed early and stays in bed through the night.


• Encourage physical activity and discourage naps during the day, but allow time for ample rest-fatigue can increase the likelihood of restlessness during the late afternoon and night.


• Schedule more physically demanding activities early in the day. Try giving a bath in the morning and having large family meals earlier than normal.


• It is important to set a quiet, calm atmosphere in the evening to encourage sleep. Dim the lights, turn off loud sources of noise, and play soothing music if it helps the person.


• Encourage sleep at about the same time each night-routine may be helpful.


• Refrain from offering the person caffeine during the late afternoon or evening.


• Set up nightlights in the person's room, hall, and bathroom if darkness scares or disorients the person.

Tips for Providing Personal Care

Providing personal care for people with Alzheimer's, such as bathing, brushing teeth, or dressing, can be difficult. Below are some helpful tips to make personal care easier.

• Planning in advance for baths can help if the person with Alzheimer's finds bathing frightening or confusing.


• Schedule baths during the time in which the person seems to be the calmest during the day. Developing a routine may help.


• Consider the fact that bathing might be scary or confusing for the person, and respect his or her feelings. Remain calm, gentle, respectful, and patient.


• Let the person know which step is coming next, and let him or her perform steps he or she is capable of doing.


• Prepare beforehand. Have everything you need in the bathroom and draw the bath before he or she enters.


• Consider the temperature. Test the water temperature beforehand, make sure the bathroom is a comfortable temperature, and keep extra towels and robes nearby.


• Limit safety risks by using a handheld showerhead, shower bench, grab bars, and non-skid bath mats. Do not leave the person alone in the shower or tub.


• A sponge bath may be a good alternative between bathing instead of bathing every day.


• Getting dressed may pose a challenge; deciding what to wear, getting certain articles of clothing on and off, and fumbling with zippers and buttons might be difficult. Plan ahead to minimize the confusion and difficulty in this task.


• Schedule dressing for the same time each day so the person can get used to having it in his or her routine. Encourage the person to perform as many steps as possible, and plan enough time to allow for difficulty.


• Present a few choices of clothing each day, and if the person has a favorite outfit, you may want to consider purchasing multiple sets.


• Lay out the clothes in the order they should be put on to help the person move through the process more easily.


• Provide clear, step-by-step instructions if the person is having difficulty.


• Pick out clothing that is comfortable, easy to get on and off, and easy to care for. Clothes with elastic waists and Velcro will eliminate problems with buttons, zippers, and tying. Take note of discomfort from tight clothes or pricking from a safety pin. The person may become irritable for seemingly no reason, but painful clothing might be the cause.


• With the progression of Alzheimer's, many people may become incontinent (lose control over their bowels or bladder). This can be upsetting for the person with Alzheimer's and is sometimes a sign of physical illness. Be sure to discuss this with a doctor.


• Develop a routine for taking the person to the bathroom and follow it as closely as possible. You may want to guide the person to the bathroom every few hours, for example. Do not wait for the person to ask or tell you.


• Notice signs of the person having to go to the bathroom, like restlessness or tugging on clothing. Respond to these signs quickly.


• Try to be understanding and considerate when accidents occur. Remain calm and reassure the person if he or she is upset or frustrated by it. Keep track of when accidents occur, and try to plan ways to avoid them.


• Preventing nighttime wetting may include limiting certain types of drinks later in the day, such as drinks with caffeine. If you plan on taking the person out, be aware of where bathrooms are located and have the person dress in clothing that is easily removable. Bring along an extra change of clothes in case of an accident.

Residential Care

Many caregivers eventually find that it is too difficult to continue providing in home care. When this happens, the person with Alzheimer's will have to live in a place where care is provided at all hours of the day and night. Two types of residential care are available: assisted living and skilled nursing facilities.

Assisted living homes are set up in large apartment or hotel-like buildings or as a "board and care" home for a small group of residents. Each offers a different level of care, but most include meals, recreation, security, and help with bathing, dressing, medication, and housekeeping.

Conversely, skilled nursing facilities (also referred to as nursing homes) include 24-hour services and monitoring. They are able to provide medical care and rehabilitation for people who are very frail or are going through the later stages of dementia.

Health care providers sometimes provide different levels of care at a single site. This is called a "continuing care community," and it is set up as two buildings, usually next to each other, to allow for ease of movement between assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. Some of these communities have programs for couples when one spouse is fairly healthy and the other is disabled.

Choosing a facility can be a difficult decision to make. Collecting information about services and options in anticipation of the need to relocate can be helpful in giving you time to weigh the options and choose the facility that best meets your needs.

Doctors, friends, relatives, social workers, and religious organizations may be able to help you locate nearby facilities. If you are looking for a facility farther away, it may be useful to hire a professional care manager to help you figure out specific care needs and identify community resources.

Compose a list of questions for the staff of each facility. This might include questions about what is offered at the facilities, such as activities, transportation, or units specifically for people with Alzheimer's. Contact the residences you are interested in, and make an appointment to visit. Talk to as many people as possible while you are there, including administration, nursing staff, and residents. Take note of how the facility is run and how the residents are treated. Dropping by unannounced might also be a good idea to ensure that your first impressions were correct.

Do some research to determine whether each facility has Alzheimer's-specific programs and services. You may want to ask whether the staff is trained in dementia care and if the facility allows family participation in planning personal care.

Other things you may want to consider are room availability, cost and payment method, and participation in Medicare or Medicaid. If there is a waiting list, you may want to put your name on it even if you are not completely ready to make a decision about long-term care. When you do make a decision, be sure to understand all of the terms of the contract, including the financial agreement. Looking over the documents with a lawyer before you sign may be helpful.

Relocating will cause a substantial change for the person with Alzheimer's as well as the caregiver. Working with a caregiver can help you plan for and adjust to the move. Having a support system is important during this time.

Making visits to people with Alzheimer's is very important, even though they may not remember who the visitors are. The value lies in human connection and social activity. Some ideas for people who are planning a visit to a person with Alzheimer's disease are the following:

• Visit at a time of the day when the person is at his or her best. You may want to bring an activity to do, such as a familiar book to read or a family photo album to browse, but be prepared to give up the activity if necessary.


• Remain calm and quiet. Try not to use a loud tone of voice, and refrain from talking to the person as if he or she were a child. Be considerate of the person's personal space, and try not to get too close if he or she seems uncomfortable.


• Make eye contact and call the person by name to get his or her attention. Remind the person of who you are if he or she does not remember you.


• Do not argue with the person if he or she is confused. Respond to the feelings being communicated, and subtly distract the person by bringing up a different topic if necessary.


• Try not to take it personally if the person does not recognize you, acts unkindly, or responds angrily. The disease causes confusion that the person is responding to; it is not your fault.

Safety Issues

It is very important to consider safety when caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease. Accidents are possible even if plans are made and adhered to. A couple ways to minimize dangerous situations are making sure your home is safe and preventing the person from wandering or driving when skills decline.

Home Safety

People who are providing home care for senior citizens with Alzheimer's must examine their homes thoroughly to identify and change possibly dangerous objects or setups. The creation of a safe environment can minimize dangerous, stressful situations. Here are some things to do when preparing to provide in home care:

• Put in secure locks on outside doors and windows, especially if the person tends to wander. Install a keyed deadbolt or additional lock higher or lower on the door. A new latch or lock might help if the person can open the door due to its familiarity to him or her. Conversely, removing locks on bathroom doors will ensure that the person does not accidentally lock him or herself into the bathroom.


• Install childproof latches on kitchen cabinets and cupboards as well as places where you keep cleaning supplies and other chemicals.


• Make sure medications are labeled and locked away. Keep dangerous objects like knives, lighters, matches, and guns out of reach. Put away and secure anything that poses a threat to safety, both inside and out.


• Maintain a tidy, well-lit environment. Remove scatter rugs or other objects that might cause the person to slip and fall.


• Think about installing an automatic shut-off switch for your stove to minimize the risk of burns or fire.


• If the person goes out, make sure he or she is carrying identification and is wearing a medical bracelet. If he or she becomes lost and cannot effectively communicate, this will let people know the person's identity and alert them as to his or her medical condition. Make sure to have a recent picture or video of the person in case he or she gets lost.


• Ensuring safety is one of the most important tasks of caregiving. People with Alzheimer's sometimes wander away from their homes and caregivers, so knowing what to do to prevent wandering is of utmost importance.

Driving

After making the difficult decision that someone with Alzheimer's is no longer capable of driving, sharing the decision with that person should be done carefully and sensitively. The person may become upset, but it is extremely important to consider his or her safety as well as the safety of others on the road. Here are some ideas to help you decide whether someone with Alzheimer's should no longer drive and to guide your communication with that person:

• Look out for signs that the person can no longer drive safely, such as becoming disoriented in familiar places, driving too fast or slow, not heeding traffic signs, or becoming angry or confused.


• When you tell the person about your decision, try to be sensitive to the person's feelings, but remain firm in your request that he or she not drive. It is also important to be consistent when you have made a decision-even on a "good day," do not let the person drive.


• Ask for help from a doctor. The doctor may be seen as more of an authority figure, and the person may be more willing to stop driving. The doctor may be willing to write a "prescription" to stop driving as well as to call the Department of Motor Vehicles to request a reevaluation of the person's driving ability.


• If it becomes necessary, take away the car keys. If holding onto keys is important to the person, substitute a different set of keys.


• If nothing else seems to be working, you may want to disable the car or move it to a place where the person can no longer see it or access it.

Caregiver Support

When learning that a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, you may become stressed, frightened, and overwhelmed. Some helpful tips for dealing with the new diagnosis are listed below.

• Ask the doctor questions you have about Alzheimer's, including which treatments might be the most useful in alleviating the symptoms or controlling behavioral problems.


• Certain community groups offer classes to teach caregiving problem solving and management techniques.


• Locate a support group where you can talk about your concerns and emotions. Fellow members might have ideas and resources to share based on their own experiences. If you would like to find a support group but would rather stay at home, there are many support groups online.


• Map out your schedule in order to identify times in which you can create a normal routine to make activities run more smoothly. If certain times of the day are better for the person with Alzheimer's in terms of behavior and emotions, try to plan your schedule to make the most of those times with the person. The person's behavior may change from day to day, so be prepared to be flexible and change your schedule as needed.


• Think about using adult day care or in home health care services to allow time for your own relaxation. By using these services, you can have a break from the demands of caregiving while knowing that the person is safe and cared for.


• Try to plan ahead. This may mean collecting financial and legal documents, exploring long-term care options, and figuring out which services are covered by health insurance and Medicare.